Yieldable antenna pole



Filed May 6, 1959 INVENTOR E'WALD RICHTER BY ,4401,

ATTORNEY Patented June 16, 1942 UHTED ST @EFEEQE YIELDABLE ANTENNA POLE Germany Application May 6, 1939, Serial No. 272,089 In Germany May 17, 1938 Claims.

This invention relates to antenna poles and has particularly to do with an arrangement for supporting an antenna in a vertical position, preferably on top of a motor vehicle.

It is an object of my invention to provide an antenna pole which is yieldable in any direction.

It is another object of my invention to provide a yieldable antenna pole which, after being accidentally struck by some obstacle, will bend over in order that the vehicle may pass under the obstacle and will recover its erect position immediately thereafter.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be understood from the following detailed description when read in View of the accompanying drawing, the sole figure of which shows in crosssection a view of a preferred embodiment.

Vertical antennas, as heretofore provided for motor vehicles, have been subject to the drawback that when struck by an obstacle they tended to vibrate considerably and to be damaged if struck with any considerable force. These antennas of the prior art were usually hinged and could be bent back only in one direction. If, therefore, the antenna was struck by a lateral blow there was the serious danger that the hinge would be broken.

In order to overcome the difiiculties heretofore encountered, I have found that it is very desirable to encase an antenna wire within a tapered tubular member composed, preferably, of rubber, although other resilient materials may, of course, be employed. The tubular casing is shown in cross-section at A in the drawing. It will be noted that the shape of this tubular member has suificient taper so as to provide a suitable base area which is covered by an insulator B having a nipple portion E over which the tubular member can be fitted. The top of the yieldable antenna pole is preferably made solid for a substantial distance. The walls of the tubular member can, if desired, be made of a graduated thickness, the thinnest portion of the wall being at the top and the thickest portion at the bottom where it fits over the nipple E. This preferred construe tion is found to provide the most substantial support for the antenna pole and to render the same relatively rigid when it is not interfered with by obstacles. When struck by an obstacle, however, the antenna pole may be readily buckled as it is bent over but without any permanent damage. Immediately after the antenna pole has been passed under the obstacle it recovers its erect position, no traces of the buckling remaining.

The antenna wire D is shown in the drawing to extend from the upper portion of the yieldable antenna pole down through an orifice in the nipple E. The antenna wire then is carried through the roof C of the vehicle and, of course, leads to such radio apparatus as may be carried in the vehicle.

If desired, the antenna wire may be made of a plurality of stranded conductors in order to provide great flexibility. Alternatively, the antenna conductor may be made of ribbons or tapes. In order to obviate the possibility of disturbances in reception and transmission of radio signals when the antenna pole meets with an obstacle and is bent, the metallic conductors are preferably disposed loosely inside the hollow portion of the rubber tubular support.

The antenna pole as shown may be easily demounted by virtue of the fact that the lower portion thereof is simply extended over the insulator nipple E and can be pulled off whenever desired. In order to remove the antenna wire with the rubber pole it is sumcient to provide a plug and receptacle connection between the conductor D and the conductor F which passes through the insulator E. The plug and receptacle assembly is shown at G. It will be understood, of course, that the conductor D is of sufficient length so that the plug may be inserted in the receptacle before fitting the rubber antenna pole over the nipple E.

One of the advantages of the yieldable antenna pole herein disclosed is that it is substantially immune to injury from projectiles. If, for example, the tube were to be punctured by a gun shot this would not ordinarly injure the antenna conductor since it is loosely supported within the tube. Where this particular advantage is not a sufiicient consideration the invention may be carried out in an alternative manner by imbedding the antenna conductor in the wall of the rubber antenna pole. The imbedding process naturally would take place in the manufacture of the tube and before it is vulcanized.

I claim:

1. A yieldable antenna pole comprising a conically shaped tubular member, the apex of which is solid for a substantial part of it height, a flexible conductor anchored to the apex and extending loosely within the walls of the tubular member, and a rigid base member having a nipple portion over which the lower end of the tubular member is stretched.

2. An antenna system comprising a conductor, a resilient housing for said conductor, said housing being of atapered tubular formation and the apex being solid, a base member having a nipple over which the larger end of the tubular housing is stretched, a receptacle mounted on said base member, and a plug attached to the free end of said conductor and insertible in said receptacle.

3. A normally erect antenna system suitable for mounting on a motor car or the like, said system comprising an elongated elastic rubber member which is tapered and tubular for the greater part of its length, and an excitable conductor loosely mounted within the tubular portion of said member, said member and its conductor being yieldable by inclination upon striking an obstruction, and capable of restoring itself to an erect position after disengagement from said obstruction.

4. A system according to claim 3 in combination with supporting means comprising a rigid nipple over which the tubular end of said rubber member is expanded.

5. A system according to claim 3 in combination with an insulator having a beaded nipple over which the tubular end of said rubber member is expanded, and means including a plug and receptacle assembly for at times connecting said conductor to a permanently installed transmission line,

EVVALD RICHTER. 

